 |
 Rapala Deep Shad Rap SR07 in Color Metallic PERCH for Bass Walleye Pike Zander $8.49 Time Remaining: 5d 5h 28m Buy It Now for only: $8.49 |
 5 RAPALA XRS 8 X RAP SHAD BASS WALLEYE NICE COLORS $31.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 6h 40m |
 Rapala X Rap Shad Sureset XRSSS08 in Color MOSS CHART SHAD Bass Pike Walleye $7.85 Time Remaining: 3h 37m Buy It Now for only: $7.85 |
 4 RAPALA X RAP XR 10 G BASS WALLEYE PIKE CRANKBAIT LURE 7 16 OZ $6.99 Time Remaining: 21d 29m Buy It Now for only: $6.99 |
 4 RAPALA X RAP XR 10 S BASS WALLEYE PIKE CRANKBAIT LURE 7 16 OZ $6.99 Time Remaining: 6d 6h 7m Buy It Now for only: $6.99 |
 4 RAPALA XRSH 6 X RAP SHAD SHALLOW LURES BASS WALLEYE PURPLE GHOST COLOR $20.99 Time Remaining: 6h 34m Buy It Now for only: $23.10 |
 NIP 2 3 4 7 16 oz Rapala Jointed Shad Rap JSR 7 Walleye IRELAND $8.99 Time Remaining: 19d 11m Buy It Now for only: $8.99 |
 Rapala Shad Rap SR 09 W Walleye Nip x3 Factory Direct $22.99 Time Remaining: 27d 23h 36m Buy It Now for only: $22.99 |
 4 RAPALA X RAP XR 10 GGH BASS WALLEYE PIKE CRANKBAIT LURE 7 16 OZ $6.99 Time Remaining: 29d 2h 19m Buy It Now for only: $6.99 |
 NEW RAPALA SUPER SHAD RAP SSR 14 WALLEYE $8.99 Time Remaining: 5h 28m |
 Rapala X Rap SXR10 Slashbait Color Glass Ghost Stripers Bass Pike Walleye SALO $8.99 Time Remaining: 19d 3h 15m Buy It Now for only: $8.99 |
 RAPALA SUPER SHAD RAP SSR14 WALLEYE NIB 0804 $13.39 Time Remaining: 27d 21h 25m Buy It Now for only: $13.39 |
 Rapala Shad Rap SR 5 W walleye NIP $7.99 Time Remaining: 14d 21h 48m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
 3 Rapala Shad Raps fishing lures crankbaits bass walleye baits SR 7 perch shiner $4.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 5d 7h 54m |
 Rapala Shad Rap SSR 5 W walleye NIB $8.19 Time Remaining: 17d 21h 49m Buy It Now for only: $8.19 |
 Rapala Super Shad Rap SSR 14 W walleye NIB $12.99 Time Remaining: 22d 4h 19m Buy It Now for only: $12.99 |
 New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass Pickerel N Pike $9.99 Time Remaining: 11d 5h 11m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 Rapala X Rap Shad Shallow XRSH08 YP Bass Pike Walleye $8.63 Time Remaining: 17d 6h 15m Buy It Now for only: $8.63 |
 2 Rapala Rattlin Raps 5 Blue chrome Walleye Bass Killers 1 fished 1 unfished $14.45 Time Remaining: 8h 27m |
 Rapala Shad Rap SR 05 W Walleye Nip x3 Factory Direct $22.99 Time Remaining: 4d 4h 53m Buy It Now for only: $22.99 |
 5 RAPALA CRR 14 CRANKIN RAP LURES SMALLMOUTH BASS WALLEYE PIKE NICE COLORS $21.99 Time Remaining: 5d 1h 48m Buy It Now for only: $21.99 |
 Rapala X Rap SXRD10 Slashbait PGH Bass Pike Walleye $8.99 Time Remaining: 11d 22h 57m Buy It Now for only: $8.99 |
 Rapala Flat Rap Bass Walleye Fishing Tackle Lure Bait FLR 10 Lot of 4 $23.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1h 58m |
 Rapala Shallow Shad Rap SSR 09 SSR09 W Walleye Nip x3 Factory Direct $22.99 Time Remaining: 4d 2h 59m Buy It Now for only: $22.99 |
 RAPALA JOINTED SHAD RAP JSR 07 W WALLEYE NIP X3 $19.99 Time Remaining: 4d 5h 42m Buy It Now for only: $19.99 |
 4 RAPALA X RAP XR 10 P BASS WALLEYE PIKE CRANKBAIT LURE 7 16 OZ $6.99 Time Remaining: 23d 35m Buy It Now for only: $6.99 |
 Rapala Risto Rap RR 8 PRT Nice Lure Bass Walleye Pike Crankbait $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 9h 55m |
 Rapala 2 Jointed Suspending 1 4oz Shad Rap 5 in RED CRAWDAD Bass Walleye HAWR $6.25 Time Remaining: 28d 3h 54m Buy It Now for only: $6.25 |
 Rapala Shallow Shad Rap SSR 07 SSR07 W Walleye Nip x3 Factory Direct $22.99 Time Remaining: 20d 3h 26m Buy It Now for only: $22.99 |
 Rapala Super Shad RapSSR 14 WWalleye $13.99 Time Remaining: 23d 5h 50m Buy It Now for only: $13.99 |
 Rapala Shad Rap SSR 9 Walleye and Perch shallow runners x rap lot $10.99 Time Remaining: 22h 20m |
 Rapala X Rap Shad Shallow XRSH08 PGH Bass Pike Walleye $8.49 Time Remaining: 13d 1h 57m Buy It Now for only: $8.49 |
 NEW RAPALA JOINTED SHAD RAP JSR 5 WALLEYE MADE IN IRELAND $9.99 Time Remaining: 8d 50m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 Rapala Jointed Suspending Shad Rap 7 Color WALLEYE for Bass Walleye Pike HAWR $7.29 Time Remaining: 25d 6h 16m Buy It Now for only: $7.29 |
 Rapala Walleye Balsa Natural Shad Rap Baitfish Fishing Lure SR09 W $8.77 Time Remaining: 11h 35m Buy It Now for only: $8.77 |
 Rapala Shad Rap SSR 9 Walleye and Perch shallow runners x rap lot $10.99 Time Remaining: 2d 22h 21m |
 Rapala Walleye Balsa Natural Shad Rap Baitfish Fishing Lure SR08 W $8.51 Time Remaining: 11h 46m Buy It Now for only: $8.51 |
 New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass Pickerel N Pike $10.49 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 37m Buy It Now for only: $10.49 |
 New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass Pickerel N Pike in Color GLASS GHOST $9.99 Time Remaining: 10d 21h 34m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 Rapala Rattlin Rap size 5 Big Bass Walleye and more Awesome color $10.45 Time Remaining: 8h 30m |
 Rapala Shad Rap SR08 diver Lure SR 8 FT bass walleye Firetiger deep runner NEW $8.95 Time Remaining: 2d 22h 48m Buy It Now for only: $8.95 |
 Rapala Jointed Suspending Shad Rap 5 in WALLEYE for Bass Walleye Pike HAHO $6.25 Time Remaining: 10d 19h 53m Buy It Now for only: $6.25 |
 Rapala X Rap 6 Slashbait CLN Bass Trout Panfish Walleye $7.99 Time Remaining: 3h 56m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
 Freshwater Fishing Lure Lot Bass Pike Trout Walleye Weedless Spoon X Rap Rapala $19.99 Time Remaining: 3d 12h 17m Buy It Now for only: $21.99 |
 Rapala Suspending Shad Rap RS 04 Silver Blue for Bass Walleye Panfish DAQQ $6.25 Time Remaining: 15d 6h 28m Buy It Now for only: $6.25 |
 Rapala Shad Rap SR 8 W walleye NIP $10.99 Time Remaining: 10d 23h Buy It Now for only: $10.99 |
 CUSTOM Rapala Shallow Shad Rap SSR 5 w FIBER OPTIC EYES Lure Crankbait Walleye $14.00 Time Remaining: 27d 4h 54m Buy It Now for only: $14.00 |
 New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass Pickerel N Pike $10.49 Time Remaining: 8d 19h 9m Buy It Now for only: $10.49 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala X Rap Shad XRS 8 PG Purple Gold Walleye Trout Bass Pike NIB $0.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 4d 9h 5m |
 Rapala Balsa Shad Rap SR07 in Color SHAD Bass N Pike Walleye Pickerel OAHJ $8.52 Time Remaining: 17d 6m Buy It Now for only: $8.52 |
 Rapala X Rap 6 Slashbait S Bass Trout Panfish Walleye $7.99 Time Remaining: 11d 2h 6m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
 2x Rapala Jointed Shad Rap JSR04 Walleye Color Lure $13.99 Time Remaining: 6d 8h 52m Buy It Now for only: $13.99 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala X Rap Shad XRS 6 PGHPurple GhostWalleye Trout Bass Pike NIB $7.50 (10 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 5h 45m |
 Rapala X Rap 6 Slashbait G Bass Trout Panfish Walleye $7.99 Time Remaining: 16d 4h 42m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
 Rapala Shallow Shad Rap SSR 05 SSR05 W Walleye x3 Factory Direct $22.99 Time Remaining: 3d 19h 11m Buy It Now for only: $22.99 |
 Rapala Jointed Suspending Shad Rap 7PBass Walleye $7.29 Time Remaining: 11d 20h 22m Buy It Now for only: $7.29 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala X Rap Shad XRS 8 PGHPurple GhostWalleye Trout Bass Pike NIB $1.04 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 4d 9h 1m |
 5 1 2 Super Shad Rap Normark Rapala Pike Musky Walleye $12.49 Time Remaining: 4d 9h 50m Buy It Now for only: $12.49 |
 Rapala Balsa Shad Rap 07 in Perch for Bass Zander Walleye Pike Pickerel $7.09 Time Remaining: 5d 5h 22m Buy It Now for only: $7.09 |
 Rapala X Rap Shad Shallow XRSH08 SB Bass Pike Walleye $7.99 Time Remaining: 27d 20h 22m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala X Rap Shad XRS 6 PG Purple Gold Walleye Trout Bass Pike NIB $8.59 (15 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 5h 45m |
 Rapala Jointed Suspending Shad Rap 7 Color RED CRAW for Bass Walleye Pike HAOH $7.29 Time Remaining: 10d 19h 24m Buy It Now for only: $7.29 |
 Rapala New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass N Pike $10.49 Time Remaining: 29d 17h 39m Buy It Now for only: $10.49 |
 Rapala Shad Rap SR 08 W Walleye Nip x3 Factory Direct $22.99 Time Remaining: 4d 5h 19m Buy It Now for only: $22.99 |
 New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass Pickerel N Pike $10.49 Time Remaining: 14d 5h 5m Buy It Now for only: $10.49 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala Shad Rap RS SRRS 05 CW Crawdad Walleye Trout Bass Pike NIB $5.50 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 5h 45m |
 Rapala X Rap Shad Shallow XRSH08 Color GOLD for Bass Pike Walleye Pickerel OAJD $8.63 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 33m Buy It Now for only: $8.63 |
 Rapala Shad Rap SSR 9 W walleye NIB $10.49 Time Remaining: 10d 22h 54m Buy It Now for only: $10.49 |
 Rapala Jointed Walleye JSR07 W Rattling Suspending Shad Rap Fishing Lure $8.95 Time Remaining: 4d 9h 23m Buy It Now for only: $8.95 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala X Rap Shad XRS 6 HP Hot PinkAsp Walleye Trout Bass Pike NIB $7.50 (12 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 5h 45m |
 Rapala 2 Jointed Suspending Shad Rap 5 in CRAWDAD Bass Walleye Pickerel HAHO $6.25 Time Remaining: 10d 19h 22m Buy It Now for only: $6.25 |
 2 RAPALA JOINTED SHAD RAPS JSR 5 SUSPENDING LURES BOTH IN WALLEYE COLOR $14.95 Time Remaining: 26d 10h 1m Buy It Now for only: $14.95 |
 Rapala New 2 3 4 Clackin Rap CNR07 Color HELSINKI SHAD for Walleye Bass Pike $9.99 Time Remaining: 28d 21h 37m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala Jointed Shad Rap JSR 5 HTP Hot Perch Walleye Bass Pike NIB $8.00 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 5h 56m |
 Rapala 3 1 8 X Rap Shad Shallow XRSH08 Color OLIVE GREEN for Bass Pike Walleye $8.49 Time Remaining: 27d 21h 57m Buy It Now for only: $8.49 |
 Rapala Balsa Shad Rap SR05 S Bass N Pike Walleye $6.29 Time Remaining: 10d 17h 24m Buy It Now for only: $6.29 |
 Rapala Shad Rap SR 9 W walleye NIP $10.99 Time Remaining: 11d 4h 55m Buy It Now for only: $10.99 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala Jointed Shad Rap JSR 7 P Perch Cranks Walleye Bass Pike NIB $7.59 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 7h 23m |
 New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass Pickerel N Pike $10.49 Time Remaining: 20d 16h 25m Buy It Now for only: $10.49 |
 New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass Pickerel N Pike $10.49 Time Remaining: 23d 3h 39m Buy It Now for only: $10.49 |
 New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass Pickerel N Pike $9.99 Time Remaining: 18d 8h 36m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass Pickerel N Pike $10.49 Time Remaining: 7d 3h 14m Buy It Now for only: $10.49 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala X Rap SlashBait XR 6 PGHPurple Ghost NIB Bass Trout Walleye $8.09 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 4d 9h 7m |
 New Clackin Rap CNR08 Walleye Bass Pickerel N Pike $10.49 Time Remaining: 11d 5h 4m Buy It Now for only: $10.49 |
 New Rapala Jointed Shad Rap 04 Fishing Lures Walleye Ships Free $14.99 Time Remaining: 17d 23h 27m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 |
 Rapala Balsa Shad Rap SR05 SD Bass N Pike Walleye $6.29 Time Remaining: 9d 3h 22m Buy It Now for only: $6.29 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala Crankin Rap CRR 14 SD Shad Asp Trout Walleye Bass Pike NIB $0.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 4d 8h 50m |
 2 RAPALA JOINTED SHAD RAPS JSR 4 LURES IN BEAUTIFUL WALLEYE COLOR $14.95 Time Remaining: 9h 27m Buy It Now for only: $14.95 |
 JSR 7 W Rapala Jointed Shad Rap WALLEYE $8.00 Time Remaining: 22d 14h 22m Buy It Now for only: $8.00 |
 2 RAPALA JOINTED SHAD RAPS JSR 7 SUSPENDING LURES IN WALLEYE COLOR $14.95 Time Remaining: 11d 20h 39m Buy It Now for only: $14.95 |
 LOT2Lures Rapala X Rap Shad XRS 8 HP Hot PinkAsp Walleye Trout Bass Pike NIB $1.04 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 4d 9h 9m |
 Rapala Jointed Shad Rap 7 Walleye Shad Fishing Lure $22.00 Time Remaining: 7d 9h 9m Buy It Now for only: $22.00 |
 SSR 14 W Rapala SUPER Shad Rap 14cm WALLEYE $15.72 Time Remaining: 21d 4h 50m Buy It Now for only: $15.72 |
 Rapala Shallow Shad Rap SSR 8 W Walleye RARE $25.00 Time Remaining: 2d 19h 52m Buy It Now for only: $25.00 |
Rap Walleye
what is the best way to fish the X-rap?
I just bought one and im going this friday wadeing for walleye and i dont really know how to fish it!
I'm not going to lie to you. One of my favorite ways to catch bass is using a jerkbait. Because I am a true power fisherman, this technique allows me to cover maximum amounts of water, and allows me to generate that reaction strike that I'm always trying to generate. So lets discuss the when, what, and where of jerkbaiting.
In my opinion the when, what, and where aspects of jerkbaiting are all closely interconnected. So with this in mind, lets break jerkbaits down by season first, and then going into detail about where to fish them and which kinds to fish. Remember jerkbaits are one of the few baits that are truly effective the whole year through.
Winter Period (water temp 40-55 degrees)
Even during the cold water period, when the fish are inactive and more vertical in their location, the jerkbait can be an effective tool. Generally during this period, the bass will be found in areas with the more vertical depth breaks, like main lake dam and point areas and areas in coves and creeks where the steepest banks exist.
The jerkbait can shine during these times, especially after one or two days of more stable and warmer weather. What happens is that after a brief stable or warming trend, the bass will use the small lips or shelves in their wintering areas. This could mean just getting shallower on the vertical breakline or shifting to a nearby flat or lip. Basically it puts the bass in an area that is a more accessible depth range for the jerkbait to be effective.
During this winter period, I select three model of jerkbaits: a sinking or countdown model, a suspending model, and a suspending spoonbill model. With these three types of jerkbaits I can effectively cover water down to about 16 feet. I generally use the suspending model and the sinking model for depths down to about 10 or 12 feet and I use the spoonbill for anything deeper then 12 feet.
I will use baits that range in size from as little as three inches to as much as eight inches long. The main consideration in choosing bait size is the size of the baitfish or forage your trying to match. Are you trying to imitate small shore minnows, medium size dying shad, or giant yellow perch? Always try and match the forage to your bait size.
Also consider the depth when choosing bait size. Generally the larger model jerkbaits will dive deeper.
The next consideration is color. Again, as always, I try and pick a color that most closely resembles the forage that the bass are eating. Whites, silvers, chartreuse, firetiger, and gold colors make up most of my color selections at this time.
But, the most important factor during this time (winter period) is cadence. By cadence, I mean the rhythm at which you work and twitch the bait. In one word I can sum up what your cadence needs to be in the winter, "SLOW."
With suspending and sinking jerkbaits, I'll often reel them down to gain some depth, then I'll twitch them two times and just let them sit. This is the key! I'll experiment with pause lengths by counting in my mind for periods ranging from 5 seconds to more than 60 seconds. I know anything longer than 30 seconds sounds a little ridiculous, but it is the real key to catching them at this period. Once you get on the right rhythm you can be effective on every cast.
The neutral buoyancy or slow sinking of these jerkbaits is what triggers the fish into striking. It's just a real natural presentation during a time of the year where many of the forage species are dying naturally from the cold temperature.
With the spoonbill model jerkbaits I can more effectively cover the deeper zones from 10 to 16 or more feet. Instead of the twitch motion that I use with the suspending and sinking models, I use a longer pulling motion. To achieve this I just sweep my rod down to the side, still using the long pauses between sweeps.
During this period or anytime you're fishing jerkbaits, it's also important to think about line size. As in any fishing, the larger the line size the shallower and more buoyant your bait will be. The smaller the line diameter, the deeper and less buoyant the bait will be. With this in mind, I often opt for lighter line sizes during this time of the year. Green Original and Magnaflex line in sizes ranging from 6 to 12 pound test is my norm. I will actually use my line to modify the action of the bait. I can cause a suspending model jerkbait to sink by going to a very light line size. I can also modify the sink or suspend rate by modifying my hook size.
I always like to go with the largest hook I can get away with. I often replace the factory size 4 belly hooks with larger size 2 hooks. This will give the bait a nose down, slow sinking fall.
Spring Period (pre spawn, spawn, and post spawn - water temp 55-70degrees)
Out of the four seasonal periods, this is my favorite time to fish a jerkbait. There are three distinct sections within the spring time period:the pre spawn, spawn, and post spawn.
During the pre spawn, the fish are starting to make the move from their wintertime locations to their spawning areas. In early pre spawn, the water temp is still cold, but increasing warming trends are causing the fish to start to slide.
I try and key in on what I consider staging areas between winter and spawn locations. These areas are typified by main lake points, secondary points, the ends of bluffs, and the deep edge of flats or shoals. The fish will stop and feed on these staging areas before moving on to their spawning locations.
In the cold water, I like to use the same jerkbaits and technique that I used during the winter period. I do really start to favor the suspending model during this time frame and my cadence tends to pick up a little. Instead of two twitches, I may make three or four and will generally shorten my pause times. There is a lot of big bait this time of the year, so I match my jerkbait selection accordingly.
When the water temp. approaches the magic 60 degree mark, the spawn cycle is underway. The fish will swarm to the shallows in coves, creeks, bays, and flats.
Remember though, not all fish in the lake spawn at the same time. Generally the bass in the upper end of the impoundment will spawn first, followed by the fish in the mid lake area, and lastly by the fish down by the dam. Also not all fish will be locked down on beds. There will be a lot just up cruising.
During this period I almost strictly use suspending and floating jerkbaits. The suspending models can be killer for enticing bedding bass.
One of my favorite tricked up jerkbait during this time is the old Rapala 9S floating jerkbait. I'll take the standard model and replace the belly hook with a size #4 hook. On this hook I will add some lead wrap to get the bait to just barley suspend in the nose down position. I will also tie a liberal amount of red sewing thread to the back hook. It's a light bait so I throw it on a spinning rod.
Even after the fish are done spawning and post up, the jerkbait is killer. During this time, they're looking for an easy meal -- something that's easy to get. A slow floating jerkbait does this exactly.
Post spawn fish will often hang around the areas where they have spawned for a while. The males will actively guard fry for about a week and the females often move to the first areas of slightly deeper water. The fish also have a tendency to suspend around any available cover like docks, trees, or weeds.
During this post spawn, floating jerk baits are my number one tool. I will often fish it as a dual bait on every cast. What I mean by that is I will first fish the floating jerkbait like a top water and twitch it on top for the first third of the cast. During the remainder of the retrieve, I will twitch it erratically, occasionally stopping it all together and allowing it to float back to the surface.
Whenever I see fry, I will cast past the patch and bring the jerkbait into the school. This is a great imitator of another gamefish trying to come in and eat some of the fry.
One other trick during this time is to try and imitate the fry itself. You got to remember there's a lot of fry in the water and they're not all bass fry. You have carp fry, crappie fry, and bluegill fry all at about the same time. To imitate this I use an extremely small jerkbait from 1 to 3 inches long. I have to go to ultra light line and a light action spinning rod, but sometimes it's the perfect trick.
Summer Period (water temp 70 - 90 degrees
This is the one time of the year where I still use jerkbaits, but often other baits are more effective. My general rule of thumb for bass during the heat of the summer is deeper or thicker.
Deeper often means getting out of the effective range for jerkbaits of 15 or 16 feet. So better tools during this time might be heavy jigs, crankbaits or Carolina rigs.
Thicker means that the bass bury deep into cover and vegetation. This obviously is not the most conducive areas to fish a jerkbait.
There are some places and conditions that I do like to fish a jerkbait in the summer though. First, I can often find some actively feeding fish on the flats and shoals early and late in the day. This is true especially on bodies of water that contain smallmouth.
I have two key jerkbait colors for smallmouth at this time. I like using a pearl blue back model to imitate alewife or herring and a clown color to imitate the yellow perch.
Another area in the summer that can be very effective with jerkbaits is the headwater or creek areas. In these feeding tributaries you will often encounter not only cooler water, but also current. In these areas the fish will set up in predictable locations, particularly in current breaks and eddies. I love to cast a jerkbait up stream at this time and work it back naturally with the current.
Fall Period (water temp. 70 - 55 degrees)
Besides the spring period, this is my second favorite time to fish a jerkbait. When the first few cold fronts start to hit during the end of the Summer Period, the bass are signaled to start making their fall movement.
The bass know instinctively to feed before the approaching winter. They will migrate back to many of the same areas they used during the spawn cycle. Flats and creeks are major feeding areas during this time, thus putting a lot of fish back into the effective depth range of a jerkbait. More then anything the bait is a critical element during this time of the year.
The baitfish will migrate to the shallows, especially on the flats, shoals, and creeks. The creeks with a direct influx of water in the back seem to be even better. These massive schools of bait, can often be seen swimming in pods and schools. When I see this, my mind starts thinking jerkbait, especially in bodies of water that contain clearer water.
I like both the floating and suspending models during the fall period. I pretty much strictly use natural bait colors during this time and I try and stay very aware of the size of the bait.
I love to target wind blown banks in the backs of the creeks of on main lake flats. Schooling bass will often be found during this time of the year around the pods of bait that we just talked about. I like having a jerkbait tied on that I can cast a great distance if I see surfacing breaking activity.
Tackle and Equipment
Lets talk about tackle and equipment for jerkbaiting. In my jerkbait fishing, I am looking for a rod that has the properties of a good crankbait rod. By this I mean I want a rod that has a fiberglass composite composition that allows me to do three things: get a slightly delayed hook set, land more fish because of the forgiving nature of glass, and allows me to load up the light tip to achieve maximum casting distance. But it has to have a shorter length which allows me to impart the wrist action that is so critical in twitching a jerkbait.
I've found the perfect rod in a Team Daiwa S-LT fiberglass rod in the 6 foot length. This rod has a shorter than normal handle, which is perfect for the wrist control needed.
I match this rod up with a reel that has maximum spool capacity for those giant cast and has a middle of the road retrieve speed. The Team Daiwa Millionaire -S reel is perfect for me. I use it in the smaller 150 size. The only exception to the above is when I fishing a spoonbill, in which case I use the same Team Daiwa Rod and reels but just in a 6'6" model rod and a larger 250 size reel.
In line I love Strens green line in both Original and the new Magnaflex. The new MagnaFlex line provides tremendous castability with slightly less stretch tan traditional monofilament.
In reference to brands of jerkbaits I really carry a tremendous variation of brands of both floating, sinking, suspending, and spoonbill. In floating I like the good old original Rapalas, Rouges, and Bomber Long A's.
In suspending, I like many of the new Japanese-type baits including the Lucky Craft and Megabass models. I also like Husky Jerks, Rouges, Bomber Long A's.
In sinking models I primarily like Rapala Countdown. And in spoonbills I use primarily a Rebel spoonbill which I modify to slightly suspend.
As a last note, I am currently working on a prototype suspending jerkbait along with the other Mann's Bait Company prostaff. We are going to take the best elements of some of the jerkbaits we now using and we're going to put them all into this one bait. We're going to make it in the best colors and sizes out there. It's going to be a real killer jerkbait!
Jiggin' Rap Walleye